26.3
Acute Pain Management
Malawi Standard Treatment Guidelines, 6th Edition, 2023. Chapter 26, Anaesthesia and Critical Care.
Clinical Description
Many preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative interventions and management strategies are available for reducing and managing postoperative pain. Control of postoperative pain plays an essential role in facilitating a patient’s recovery to normal function and reduces the incidence of adverse physiologic and psychological effects associated with acute, uncontrolled pain. Multimodal anaesthesia must be used incorporating regional, pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods.
Cesarean Section Regional: Spinal
Pharmacological: NSAIDS, Opiods, Paracetamol
Laparotomy Regional: TAP block, epidural
Pharmacological: opioid, NSAID, Ketamine (IV), Dexamethasone, Paracetamol
Orthopedic Opioid (IV), Paracetamol IV, NSAID, Regional block (depending on site of surgery e.g spinal, femoral block,)
Minor surgery Assessment (refer to palliative care section on pain
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